Display hanger



Nov. 17, 1964 E. E. SCHAEFER 3,157,325

DISPLAY HANGER I Filed Nov; 25, 1962 Inventor Edward E. Schaefer 5g who, WKM

JH'LOIREAAS United States Patent 3,157,325 DESPLAY HANGER Edward E. Schaefer, River Forest, Ill. Central Specialty Cm, 3813 N. Harlem Ave, Chicago 34, llll.) Filed Nov. 23, 15362, Ser. No. 239,539 4 Claims. (Cl. 223--9l) This invention relates to a display hanger, and more particularly relates to a display hanger adapted to display elongated fabric articles such as articles of clothing, garments, draperies, and the like.

One of the problems associated with the display and merchandising of elongated clothing articles such as slacks, trousers, and Womens skirts is that of soilage of the articles due to the lower portion of the article coming into contact with the floor when the article is removed from a display rack for examination by a prospective purchaser. Such handling usually results in a portion of the article coming into contact with the floor and becoming soiled.

In addition to the foregoing soilage problem, conventional hangers which support an article from an edge thereof present a storage problem in that because of the I overall vertical length of the article and hanger combination, it is not practical to display more than one article and hanger combination in vertically spaced relation. Additional racks must therefore be used to display an additional group of articles.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved display hanger constructed and arranged to attractively display elongated fabric articles in a folded or compact form.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide an improved display hanger for elongated fabric articles such as garments, draperies, or the like, wherein the major portion of the article hangs in an unwrinkled and attractive manner with only the lower portion of the article folded over another portion of the hanger when the article is mounted thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel wire-type display hanger that is simple in construction and operation, economical to manufacture, and which effectively displays elongated articles in an attractive manner.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a display hanger embodying the features of the present invention and showing the hanger as it would appear in use when displaying an elongated article, such as a pair of trousers, the latter being shown in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view taken substantiallyalong the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

Briefly described, the present invention generally contemplates an improved light-weight display hanger for supporting and displaying elongated fabric articles such as articles of clothing, draperies and the like, from one end thereof so that the latter are displayed in an attractive yet compact manner. Thus, the present hanger comprises a generally triangular shaped wire frame having a hook at its upper end for engaging a support and a laterally extending lower bar portion disposed at the lower end of the frame for supporting the lower portion of the article to be displayed thereon. The present hanger further comprises a laterally extending crossbar secured to the frame above the lower bar portion, the crossbar being provided with clamping means at-its outer ends for releasably engaging an upper edge of the article to be displayed, Ac-

pr ce cording to the present invention, the outer ends of the crossbar are preferably oflset so that the clamping means is spaced from the plane of the hanger frame, thereby permitting the major portion of an article to hang free of the frame when the latter is engaged With a support. The material of an article being displayed is thus substantially undisturbed by the structure of the hanger. The lower bar portion of the frame may be covered with a layer of non-slip material in order to prevent the lower portion of the article from slipping off of the bar.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the details of the construction and use of a display hanger embodying the features of the present invention will now be described. The present hanger thus comprises a frame ll), preferably formed of wire or metal rod and ent into the form of a triangle having a horizontally or laterally disposed base leg or lower bar portion 11 and connected inclined side legs 12 and 13. The side legs 12 and 13) may be joined at their upper ends as by welding, indicated at 14, to provide a rigid structure.

if desired one of the legs of the frame such as the leg 13, could be omitted to provide an open-sided structure. of its strength.

In order to provide a hook at the upper end of the frame for supporting the latter and an article being displayed thereon from a support, such as a cylindrical pipe or bar (not shown), one of the legs, in this instance the leg 12, is extended vertically upwardly as at 16 and then bent into a hook 17. Either of the legs 12 or 13 could be extended to provide the hook 1'7, or a separate hook structure could be provided and welded to the upper end of the triangular portion of the frame.

A horizontally disposed laterally extending crossbar 2t) is secured to the vertical portion 16 of the frame, preferably by welding 18, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The crossbar Ztl has a length substantially equal to that of the base leg or lower bar portion 11 of the frame and is of the same material as the remainder of the frame. The outer ends, indicated at 21, of the crossbar 29 are provided with clamping means in the form of spring clamps 22 for releasably engaging the edge of an article to be displayed on the hanger. Each clamp 22 comprises a pair of spring-pressed levers or arms 23 with opposed gripping jaws 24 at their lower ends. The clamps 22 are pivotally mounted on the crossbar ends 21 by means of apertured central ears or lug portions 25.

According to the present invention, it is desirable to display an article on the hanger so that the major portion of the article is undisturbed by the hanger frame. To this end, the outer ends 21 of the crossbar are offset rorn the main length of the crossbar 20 and from the plane of the frame ltl by angular connecting portions 26. The length and angulari'ty of the connecting portions 26 may vary, but the portions 26 are preferably arranged so that the portion of the article hanging downwardly from the clips 22 is spaced outwardly so as to clear the lower or triangle portion of the frame.

The lower bar ll of the frame may be covered with a layer of frictional or non-slip material 27, such as rubber, plastic, or the like, to prevent the lower portion of the article which rests on the bar 11 from slipping off of the bar.

In use, an elongated article, such as a pair of slacks or trousers T, is mounted on the hanger by initially engaging the spring clips 22. with an upper marginal edge, such as the waistband 31 of the trousers T, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The article is then permitted to hang freely from the clips 22 and the lower marginal edge thereof, in this instance, the cuffs 32 are threaded through the triangular portion of the hanger so that the lower portion of the trousers T rests on the lower bar 11 with However, the triangular form is preferred because 1 the cults 32 in substantial alignment with the first fold, indicated at 33, of the material of the trousers. The extent to which the lower portion of the article is threaded over the lower bar 11 is of course determined by the length of the article.

When so mounted, the major portion of the material of the article being displayed, in this instance the trousers T, hangs in a straight, unwrinkled manner from the crossbar 20 so as to provide an attractive appearance which is beneficial to sales. In addition, because a substantial part of the lower portion of the article is supported on the bar 11, the overall length of the article and hanger is reduced, thereby facilitating handling of the hanger and article and minimizing of the possibilities of soilage of the article due to contact with the floor. The latter characteristic of the present hanger is important where articles of women's clothing are being displayed, such as skirts, and the like, in that a prospective purchaser will find it easy to hold the garment next to her body without removing the garment from the hanger and With a minimum risk of soilage of the article. In addition, the reduction in overall length of the folded article mounted on the hanger makes it convenient to display several racks of garments one above the other.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that modifications and variations thereof may be effected without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A display hanger for displaying slacks or trousers having a waistband, comprising a frame having an upper hook portion for suspending the hanger in upright position from a support and a lower laterally extending bar portion, means unitary with said frame providing a pair of clamp supports disposed in laterally spaced relation at opposite sides of said frame above said lower bar portion and below said hook portion, said clamp supports being offset outwardly from the plane of said frame, and a pair of clamps mounted on said clamp supports in outwardly spaced relation with respect to the plane of said frame, whereby the upper part of the slacks or trousers is adapted to hang freely from said clamps with the waistband uppermost, the lower part of said slacks or trousers being adapted to be folded inwardly therefrom and draped over said lower bar portion for reducing the over-all length of the displayed slacks or trousers.

2. A display hanger for displaying slacks or trousers having a waistband, comprising a frame having an upper hook portion for suspending the hanger in upright position from a support and a lower laterally extending bar portion, means unitary with said frame providing a pair of clamp supports disposed in lateral y spaced relation at opposite sides of said frame above said lower bar portion and below said hook portion and a pair of clamps pivotally mounted on said clamp supports, said means comprising a cross member rigidly secured to said frame and having opposite end portions and a center portion, said opposite end portions being disposed at a level spaced above said center portion and having said pair of clamps mounted thereon, whereby the waistband of said slacks or trousers is adapted to be secured by said clamps at a level above said center portion with the upper part of said slacks or trousers hanging freely therebelow and the lower part of said slacks or trousers draped Over said 5 lower bar portion for reducing the over-all length of the displayed slacks or trousers.

3. A display hanger for displaying slacks or trousers having a waistband, comprising a frame having an upper hook portion for suspending the hanger in upright position from a support and a lower laterally extending bar portion, means unitary with said frame providing a pair of clamp supports disposed in laterally spaced relation at opposite sides of said frame above said lower bar portion and below said hook portion and a pair of clamps mounted on said clamp supports, said means comprising a cross member rigidly secured to said frame and having opposite end portions and a center portion, said opposite end portions being disposed at a level spaced above said center portion and having said pair of clamps mounted thereon, whereby the waistband of said slacks or trousers is adapted to be secured by said clamps at a level above said center portion with the upper part of said slacks or trousers hanging freely therebelow and the lower part of said slacks or trousers draped over said lower bar portion for reducing the over-all length of the displayed slacks or trousers.

4. A display hanger for displaying slacks or trousers having a waistband, comprising a frame having an upper hook portion for suspending the hanger in upright position from a support and a lower laterally extending bar portion, means unitary with said frame providing a pair of clamp supports disposed in laterally spaced relation at opposite sides of said frame above said lower bar portion and below said hook portion, said means comprising a cross member rigidly secured to said frame below said hook portion and above said lower bar portion, said cross member having a center portion and outer end portions comprising said clamp supports, said outer end portions being connected to said center portion by angular connecting portions, said outer end portions being thereby disposed at a level above said center portion and at a point offset outwardly from the plane of said frame, and a pair of clamps mounted on said clamp supports and adapted to engage the waistband of a pair of slacks or trousers, whereby the upper part of the slacks or trousers is adapted to hang freely from said clamps with the waistband uppermost and whereby the lower part of the slacks or trousers is adapted to be drapped over said lower bar portion for reducing the over-all length of the displayed slacks or trousers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,708 5/05 Steiger 223-91 2,014,340 9/35 Iviorinville 223-88 2,015,815 10/35 Press 2l.11l9 2,191,714 2/40 Gustin 21 1ll9 2,581,675 1/52 Lefebvre 223- 2,598,315 5/52 Sweet 2l1-ll9 2,605,000 7/52 Tcmarin 211-1 13 2,622,742 12/52 Oldham 2111 13 2,822,967 2/58 Spitz 223-88 2,866,583 12/58 Batts 22398 X 2,990,985 7/61 Begley 223-S8 3,050,221 8/62 Birnbaum 22391 FOREIGN PATENTS 892,052 3/62 Great Britain 89,207 9/21 Switzerland JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, RUSSELL C. MADER,

Examiners. 

1. A DISPLAY HANGER FOR DISPLAYING SLACKS OR TROUSERS HAVING A WAISTBAND, COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING AN UPPER HOOK PORTION FOR SUSPENDING THE HANGER IN UPRIGHT POSITION FROM A SUPPORT AND A LOWER LATERALLY EXTENDING BAR PORTION, MEANS UNITARY WITH SAID FRAME PROVIDING A PAIR OF CLAMP SUPPORTS DISPOSED IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATION AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME ABOVE SAID LOWER BAR PORTION AND BELOW SAID HOOK PORTION, SAID CLAMP SUPPORTS BEING OFFSET OUTWARDLY FROM THE PLANE OF SAID FRAME, AND A PAIR OF CLAMPS MOUNTED ON SAID CLAMP SUPPORTS IN OUTWARDLY SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF SAID FRAME, WHEREBY THE UPPER PART OF THE SLACKS OR TROUSERS IS ADAPTED TO HANG FREELY FROM SAID CLAMPS WITH THE WAISTBAND UPPERMOST, THE LOWER PART OF SAID SLACKS OR TROUSERS BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED INWARDLY THEREFROM AND DRAPED OVER SAID LOWER BAR PORTION FOR REDUCING THE OVER-ALL LENGTH OF THE DISPLAYED SLACKS OR TROUSERS.
 2. A DISPLAY HANGER FOR DISPLAYING SLACKS OR TROUSERS HAVING A WAISTBAND, COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING AN UPPER HOOK PORTION FOR SUSPENDING THE HANGER IN UPRIGHT POSITION FROM A SUPPORT AND A LOWER LATERALLY EXTENDING BAR PORTION, MEANS UNITARY WITH SAID FRAME PROVIDING A PAIR OF CLAMP SUPPORTS DISPOSED IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATION 